1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a vessel filled with a medium that supports plant growth, and more particularly to apparatus that is fitted in a container that makes the container to be used as a demand driven self-watering planter. The self-watering planter has a reservoir for water and water borne nutrients. The water and water borne nutrients are demand driven by a plant growing in and supported by a potting soil; wherein the invented planter excludes ambient water, therein enabling the composition of water, water nutrients, and potting soil in the invented planter to be independent of rainfall.
2. Background
Planters having a reservoir are taught by the prior art to be containers wherein the container has a porous false bottom that covers a reservoir. The bottom is nominally highly porous so that the plant's roots can easily grow through the bottom into the reservoir filled with a nutrient rich fluid. The process of using an assembly having a porous bottom over the reservoir filled with a nutrient rich fluid where the roots grow into the nutrient rich fluid is referred to as hydroponic growth. Hydroponic growth is normally conducted commercially, as the fluid has to be maintained at a constant level and temperature. The plants are frequently grown in soilless media, such as perlite. Without close monitoring root rot is known to be prevalent. Hydropnic growth is almost always conducted in green houses, so that the ambient conditions are largely controlled. Even in Florida, green houses are used. Environmental concerns often dictate that leachate in hydroponic farms be collected and disposed of properly. Leachate can be collected in a large tank and used to irrigate pasture, garden, vegetable crops, pine trees, nurseries, etc. If the irrigation system is being operated properly, then leachate should be relatively low in nutrients, but still represents a potential point-source for pollution.
Plants in a planter are commonly grown in a media, wherein the media is potting soil. Some common ingredients used in potting soil are peat, composted bark, sand, perlite and recycled mushroom compost, although many others are used and the proportions vary hugely. Most commercially available potting soil is pH fine-tuned with ground limestone. Some contain small amounts of fertilizer and slow-release nutrients. Despite its name, very little or no soil is used in potting soil, in-part because it is much heavier that soil. Potting mix is a mixture of potting soil and soil, and is preferred by because it is heavier and imparts better stability to the plant. The term “potting soil” is used throughout the application to include all combinations of “soilless potting soil”, “soil”, “sand”, “dirt” and “compost”. Furthermore, the term “liquid” is used throughout the application to include all combinations of “water” and “nutrient rich fluids”.
Variations of potting soil have gradations of an ability to wick liquid. In general the less soil the higher the ability to wick on a weight for weight basis. As previously stated pure potting soil is lighter than soil and sand.